Fluid operated lift for oil wells



Nov. 26, 1935.

J. M. HEWGLEY FLUID OPERATED LIFT FOR OIL WELLS Filed Jan. 6, 1954 2. SheetsSheet 1 /f/g. j;

I V EN TOR. f

ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 26, 1935. .1. M. HEwGLl-:Y

FLUID OPERATED LIFT FOR OIL WELLS 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Jan. 6, 1934 TTORN E YS.

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Patented Nov.' 2,6, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE 14 Claims.

I My -invention relates to means for lifting or flowing oil in oil Wells. c

The prime object of my invention is to provide a devicewhereby a fluid under pressure, such as air, steamor. gas, may be introduced into a well beneath the normal liquid level, and when so introduced, Will lift the liquid in the Well Withoutv causing a back pressure upon the oil bearing stratum.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a device of this class which is new, novel, practical and of utility; which Will utilize the rock or gas pressure normally present in a well, as well as the pressure mechanically injected into the well; which may be lowered into the well upon the end of a string of usual production tubing to a point beneath the normal liquid level in the Well, and when in operative position will utilize the injected pressure as a means for packing oi between the tubing and the well walls; which will have few moving parts to become Worn or to get out of order; which will be simple to install;

pressure, has been resorted to in order to lift.

the-oil.

When such fluid under pressure isused as a l lifting medium, the pressure at which the air or gas is introduced into the well must of course be considerably greater than the natural pressure Y- in the well and in the oil bearing stratumconsequently a back pressure is exerted in the oil sand, and eventually the well is killed because the continual back pressure causes the natural iissures in the sand to become clogged by the oil residue, and consequently the flow of oil through the sand to thel well is impaired -or completely stopped. l

My device is designed to overcome this difculty and to lengthen the life of the well.

With these and other objects in view as will more fullytappear, my invention consists in the constructionnovel features, and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claims hereto appended, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, of which,

(Cl. 10S- 232) Fig.' 1 is an elevational sectional'view of the device shown in operative position in a well; and, Fig. 2 is a similar view detailing a form of installation.

Like characters parts throughout the figures.

It is understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, shape, weight and other details of construction, within -the scope of my invention may be resorted to without departing 10 from the spirit or broad principle of my invention and without sacrificing any of the advantages thereof; and it is also understood that the drawings are to be interpreted as being illustrative and not restrictive.

A description of one practical embodiment of the invention follows:

v The reference numeral I indicates a portion of the lower section of usual casing held by cement 2 in a well, and 3 indicates the imaginary natural 20 level of the oil standing in the well. 'Ihis level,- however, is not at all xed, and may be several feet or even several;L hundred feet above the operative position of the device. The oil level mayV in some instancesoccur several feet above the 25 bottom section of casing I and in others may be below the casing, but in any event it is necessary to the operation of the device that its lower end be submerged. The reference numeral 4 indicates the lower section of a usual string of 3:0 production tubing. The string extends upwardly to the earth's surface for the conveying of oil thereto.

The device consists substantially of a tubular upper body section I0 threadedly connected at its upper end to the lower end of the tubing 4, and having inlet openings I I for air or gas slightly below its upper end. Rigidly attached to the exterior of section I0 at a point below the openings I I area desired plurality (two being shown) of resilient annular packers or envelopes I2 which are hermetically sealed to the 'section II) by suitable bands I3. The section Ill is plurally perfov rated as indicated at I 4 to form communication between the interior of the section and the interiors of, the packers. To the lower end of the section I0 is attached by a nipple I5 a lower tubular body section I6.

Axially disposed within the body sections I0 and I6 in spaced relation thereto is a pair of tubes 50 I1. and lwhich have a telescoping engagement at their junction point. The upper tube I1Y is connected at its upper end to the upper end of the body section I0 at a point above the inlet openings II, andv communicates with the interior 55 of reference designate like 5 f of the production tubing 4. The lower tube I8 is held in place at its lower end by threaded engagement with an annular member I9 which closes the space between the body section I6 and the tube I8. The lower tube is provided with a plurality of minute through-perforations 20 and `below these perforations its lower portion isvprovided with larger through-perforations 2I.

A usual ball check valve 22 of the drop type is seated in the lower end of the tube I8 upon a threaded ring 23 and permits ingress of a uid into the tube through its lower end but prevents escape of the uid therefrom in a downward direction. The valve is of a type permitting its withdrawal upwardly through the tube 4 when it is desired to remove the device from the well. This is advisable in order to eliminate the necessity of bodily lifting the column of oil with the tubing. l

' Operation valve 22 and seek its normal level in the tube I8.

A suitable uid under pressure will be delivered into the casing I and around the production tubing 4 at the earths surface, and the uid or the oil will enter'the inlet openings II and travel downwardly in the body sections I0 and I6 exteriorly of the tubes I'I and I8. The space within the body section I6 andaround the tube I8 will have filled with oil due to the perforations 20 and 2 I In this event a pressure will be built up in the body section Ill and the fluid or the oil will be forced through the perforations I4 into the packers I2 which will be iniiated and which will seal between the casing` I and the exterior of the section lll.

After the packers have beeninilated the continuance of the fluid pressure will force any oil above the device or within the body section I6 around the tube I8 to pass through the perforations 20 and 2l. This pressure will also seat the valve 22. A`s the fluid pressure continues, the

' iiuid or oil will simultaneously pass through the perforations 20 and 2| and Will'lift any oil present in the tubes I1 or I 8 or in the tubing 4 thereabove. It will be understood, of course, that in manufacture the section I 6 and the tube I8 will be constructed of a considerable length, for`in,

stance, possiblyone hundred feet, and conseq'uently considerable oil will be contained in the tube I8. It will also Vbe understood that interv mediate its ends the production tubing 4 will be )equipped with suitable check valves to prevent any oil once raised, from returning to the bottoml of the well. The pressure will be continued until the oil originallywithin the device and any oil in the tubing thereabove is raised to the earthsv similar perforations at desired points intermediate the ends of -the tubing 4 for a similar purpose. I

`The intermittent introduction ofthe iiuid under pressure may be controlled mechanically upon the earths surface.

From the foregoing description it may be seen that the present device permits the use of a fluid under pressure for lifting the oil, and at the same time, at no time during its operation is the pressure of the fluid permitted t'o act upon the oil bearing stratum.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of lembodiment in forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and described y`herein, and applicable for uses and purposes other than as detailed, and I therefore con- Sider as my own all such modifications and adaptations and other uses of the form of the device herein described as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device ofthe class described, the combination with a string of production tubing, of means for introducing a fluid under pressure into the lower portion of the tubing, means for causing the fluid to exert an upward pressure in the tubing, y,andmeans operated by pressure of the fluid for packing between the tubing and the walls of a well.

2. In. a device of the class described, a tube adapted to be attached to and to form acontinuation of a section of production tubing, a tubular body surrounding the tube concentrically and sealed thereto at both ends, said body having through perforations i-n its upper portion for admittingA a fluid thereinto around the tube, the lower end portion of said tube having a plurality o f minute through perforations for admitting the fluid, and for causing the uid tobe injected into I' the tube in streams sufliciently small and at sufiicient velocity to thoroughly agitate any liquid in the tubing, and a check valve in the freeend of the tube below the perforations for admitting a well liquid upwardly into the tube and preventing its escape downwardly from the tube.

3. Organization as described in claim 2, and means exterior of the tubular body and below'its perforations for packing between the body and the walls of a well.

.4. Organization as 4described in claim 2, in which the tubular body is provided with a plurality of through perforations other than the first mentioned perforations, and Ain which an inflatable packing means is hermetically attached around the body over the last mentioned perforations, said packer adapted to be iniiated by the uid for packing between the body and the walls of a Well.

5. In a device of the class described, a tubular head adapted to-be connected at its upper end -t o the lower end of a string of production tubing', said head having an inlet below the tubing, a

:depending tube carried'by the head-in, communication with the production tubing, 'said'l tube hav- -ling a plurality of perforations in its lower portion, a check valvein the tube below the perforations, a' tubular b ody vcarried by the head surrounding thetube concentrically and sealed at its lower end to the tube 'below said perfor-ations, and an inflatable packer hermetically sealed around the body below said inlet, saidbody having perforations communicating from its interior with the interior of .the packer, whereby a uid introduced under pressure within the body and around the tube may be admitted into the packer for causing its ination.

6. In a device of the class described, a tubular head adapted to be connected at its upper end to the lower end of a string of production tubing, said head having an inlet below the tubing, a depending tube carried by the head in communication with the production tubing, said tube having a plurality of perforations in its lower'portion, a check valve in the tube below the perforations, a tubular body carried by the head surrounding the tube concentrically and sealed at its lower end to the tube below said perforations, and

means carried by the body and operated by fluid` pressure therein for -packing between the body and the walls of a well.

7. In a device of the class described, a tube adapted to be attached to and to form a continuation of a section of production tubing, said tube having a plurally perforated free end portion, a check valve in the free end of the tube, a tubular body surrounding the tube concentrically and sealed to the tube atl both ends, said body having through perforations in its upper portion for admitting a fluid thereinto around the tube, an inflatable packing means hermetically attached around the body, said body having through perforations communicating with the interior of said packing means whereby the packing means may be inated by pressure of the fluid.

8. In a device of the class described, a flrst tubular perforated member having` a valve in its lower end portion, a jacket sealed around the member and having a wall passage above the perforation, said jacket adapted to receive fluid under pressure, and an inflatable member sealed around the jacket and in communication therewith.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with a well casing set with its lower end tube concentrically and sealed at its lower endv to the tube at a point below said perforations, and means for packing between the body and the casing, said check valve and the lower ends of said tube and said body, being located below the casing and within the producing stratum.

l0. vIn a device of the class described, a tubular head adapted to be connected at its upper endy to the lower end of a string of production tubing, said head having an inlet below the tubing, a

, depending tube carried by the head in communication with the production tubing, said tube having a plurality of perforations in its lower portion, a check valve in the tube below the perforations, a tubular body carried by the head surrounding the tube concentrically and sealed at its lower end to the tube at a point below said perforations, and means above the valve for packing between the tubular body and the casing of a well, said perforations and said check valve being located below the lower end of said casing.

11. In a fluid operated lift for oil wells, the'combination with a string of production tubing, of 5' two tubular elements having different diameters and both concentrically connected one within the other to the lower end of the production tubing, the inner element having at its upper end communication with the tubing and having communication at its lower` end portion with the interior of the outer element, the outer *element having an inlet at its upper end portion for permitting ingress of a fluid, a check valve in the inner element below its point of communication with the outer element, means for sealing between the two elements at a point below their point of communication, and means for sealing between the outer element and the casing of a. well, said check valve and the lower ends of said elements being located below the lower end of the casing and within a producing stratum of the earth.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination with a well casing having its lower end y terminating above the bottom of a well, of: a tube within the casing, extending therebelow, and having a perforated portion below Jthe casing; 'a jacket around the tubing, sealed thereto at a point above the bottom of the casing, and also sealed thereto at a point below its perforated portion, said' jacket having fluid inlets in its upper portion; a check valve in the tubing below its perforated portion; and, means above the bottom of the casing and below the inlets for sealing between the jacket and the casing.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination with a well casing having its lower end positioned above the bottom of the well and above the normal liquid level in the well, of z a '40 tube within the casing, extending therebelow into the well vliquid and having a perforated portion below said liquid level; a jacket around the tubing, sealed thereto at points above the bottom of the casing and below said perforated portion, said jacket having a fluid inlet above the bottom of said casing; a check-valve in the tubing below its perforated portion; and, means above the bottom of the casing and below the jackets inlet I', for sealing between the jacket and the casing.

14. In a device of the class described, the combination with a well casing having its lower end terminating above the bottom of a well, of: a tube within the casing, extending therebelow, and having an opening for fluid below the casing; a jacket around the tubing, sealed thereto at'a point above the bottom of the casing, and also sealed thereto at a point below said opening, said jacket having a fluid inlet in its upper portion;

a downwardly closing valve below said opening 

